The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1887-11-22
GENERAL FOREIGN NEWS.
Mr.. ParneII, In London, Discusses
the Affairs In Ireland.
He Points Out the ineffIciency o
the Coercion Bill.
President crevy Endeavoring to Form
a New Ministry.

LONDON, Nov. 2i.-Mr. Parnell today
made flying visit to London. He has al
lowed his beard to grow and wears his hair
long. He looked thin and careworn but
said that his health was slowly improving.
Sir Henry Thompson, who has been treating
him for year, insists that he must recup-
crate; otherwise he will be unable to bear
the labors of the coming session of Parlia-
ment. Mr.. Parnell, ON having his attention
drawn to Michael Davitt's speech at Stepa-
side, yesterday, said II do not think it
would become me to criticise or approve the
management and plan of the campaign.
was not present at its initiation and have
since been unable, owing to the state OF my
health TO take part In active politics outside
'of Parliament. Those on the spot and actively
engaged, are the best. judges Of what their
own honor and the interests OF the country
demand. Davitt Is in different posi-
tion and his opinion is entitled to respect, as
coming from one in Ireland and man OF
singular aud remarkable courage. VINO
never shrank from the consequences OF his
words or acts. But do.not gather that Dav-
lit did criticize the plan. He rather seemed
apprehensiye that things might be misun-
derstood.
"Respecting the general situation, ! may
say that in my judgment, a more feeble and
inert government never held the reins In
Ireland They are teaching Irishmen a
most disastrous lesson. BY bungllng inca
pacity, they are teaching that the law may
be successfully defed. For the law, as re-
Gently construed by the Unionist majority in
the Commons, is daily defed with impunity
by thousands of members of the suppressed
branches Of the League and by every Ma
tionalist newspaper editor in Ireland. In
fact, one Of the extraordinary results OF the
coercion act and a firm and resolute govern
ment,' Is that for every offense against the
law committed before the passage OF the
coercion bill, hundreds are committed now.
leave it to you to say whether lrelands
respect for the Imperial Parliament. the
possibility of her continued government. by
the same agency or the solidity OF the union
are likely to be increased, or whether admin
istrative incapacity does not render much
nearer the concession OF such reasonable
powers of self-government as VIII make our
people law-abiding, prosperous and happy.
Another Suspect.
A detective has arrested man named Cal
Ian, who disappeared after the death of the
alleged dynamiter Cohen. A quantity Of
dynamite was found in Callan's lodgings, and
the police seized a package containing money
sent TO him by one Moroney alias Melville,
who is said to be an agent In London OF the
Clan-na-G Gael Society. Michael Harkins, one
of the witnesses at the inquest on the body
of Cohen. has also been arrested.
The Cars Dominion.
1t is reported from St. Petersburg today
that Russia is massing 100000 soldiers near
the German and Austrian frontiers. The
Polish Jews are said to be keeping Germany
and Austria well informed regarding the
movements of the Russian troops. Prince
Bismarck is expected to call the attention Oh
the Reichstag to the matter.
In recent raids uponN Nihilists in the leading
towns of Russia $50 persons were arrested
Nine officers under arrest committed suicide.
Gatschina palace.
Gar and Kaiser.
The general consensus of opinion in polit-
ical circles and the various clubs seems to be
that the reception given the Gar of Russia
in Berlin was of cold and informal nature,
and had no political significance whatever.
The extremely dangerous illness Of the
Crown Prince Frederick William seems to
cast gloom over the entire city. and the
grand pageant today, to which almost the
entire city turned out. seemed to impress
the enlookers more as duty than hearty
ovation.
The protracted interview which the EN-
peror of Russia held with the Imperial Ger
man Chancellor at his palace on the Unter
den Linden evidently is taken to mean that
the eldest son of the Crown Prince, and
eventually the heir to the throne, is unwil-
ling to hold an interview with the Russian
Emperor. There is no doubt that Bismarck
was summoned to the capital for the express
purpose of dallying with Alexander and
maintaining the integrity Of the, recently
signed triple alliance. During the whole
interview, it is stated, the willy German
Chancellor simply dealt in magnificent gen.
eralities. The health Of the Crown Prince,
In view of the serious developments, Is re-
markable. He retains his strength and spir-
its, his eyes are bright, and his step light.
Evidently he has braced himself to accept
the inevitable with wonderful complaisance.
Russian DespotIsm.
The two imperial ukases concerning the
military and civil services have already ere
ated in South Russia very strong feeling Of
resentment against the ministry. resent
ment which, says a London News cor
respondent, may later on increase to de-
gree dangerous to the internal peace Of the
empire. The ukase ordaining that only
cadets of noble families shall in future be
eligible as officers in the artillery and
engineers. the two higher branches Of the
service. and that all officers of whatever
rank at present attached to these two arms,
but who do not belong to any grade Of no
bility. shall be gradually eliminated and
transferred to the infantry, is the less mis-
chievous Of the two in a political sense.
Still it is sufficiently and obviously invidi-
ious. The old English purchase system COM
pared with 1t had not taint of class priyi-
lege. This rescript, however, is one which
does not closely affect the people, as repre-
sented by the educated classes. The second
ukase makes commOners ineligible for
every branch of the civil service in all fn-
serious measure for the government to have
ventured upon. 1t Is piece Of class legis-
latiOn with spice of the old Tartar rule
infused into it, and IL the ukase be not
rescinded its operation may result in inter-
nal trouble. The perversesgenius of Count
Tolstoi is stamped on the face Of this
extraordinary ordinance. IL his object were
to deliberately drive the great majority OF
the educated classes into the ranks Of the
disaffected, he could not have devised any
measure more calculated to insure this end.
The cumbrous and enormous establishment
of the civil service in this country, It must
be remembered. occupies, approximately
speaking and outside the military circle,
nearly one-third Of what may be termed the
educated class. The effect of the ukase will
therefore be readily understood. The CON-
petitive examinations for all branches of the
service have, Of course. always been open
to noble and commoner alike, and interest,
influence and bribery have largely assisted
in passing crowds of incompetent but noble
aspirants into the civil service ranks. In
every Russian province there are thousands
of this idle and often INDECENT class of young
nobility, educated chiefly at the expense Of
the state, who start life on equal
terms, so far as educational elements
90, with the middle classes; but they
cannot forget that they are a privileged
class, no matter how INDECENT. Formerly
these young mobiles in the end generally
found easy and lucrative positions. During
the last decade, however, the heads of the
civil service departments have found cour-
age to discard all incompetent aspirants
whose claims to eligibility for the appoint
ments they sought were based on old privi-
leges. Talent, energy and industry among
the young and educated popular classes
found merited official acknowledgment and
promotion. Now all this is to be changed
by imperial ukase. Merit must go to the
wall. The old and bitter antagonism be-
tween class and mass Is to be famed again
into flame, and the eramped and stunted ma
tiOnal commerce cannot offer careers TO
1.-THE of the young and educated generation
against which the doors of the civil service
are to be shut. The measure is in one grim
sense altogether worthy Of Count Tolstoi,
who some time ago actually elaborated an
abortive measure or the virtual abrogation OF